1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and more particularly, to a refrigerator capable of maximizing an inner capacity of a freezing chamber by minimizing a volume of a machine chamber.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a refrigerator is a freezing and a chilling apparatus for storing food freshly for a long time by repeating a refrigerating cycle in which refrigerant is compressed, condensed, expanded, and evaporated and thus making inner temperature thereof low.
The refrigerator is divided into a freezing chamber for storing food at a temperature state below zero, a chilling chamber for storing food at a temperature state above zero, and a machine chamber formed at the lower portion of the freezing chamber.
The machine chamber is provided with a compressor for compressing refrigerant of low temperature and low pressure into refrigerant of high temperature and high pressure so as to perform the refrigerating cycle; a condenser for heat-exchanging the refrigerant which passed the compressor with external air; and an axial flow fan for radiating the compressor and the condenser.
FIG. 1 is a longitudinal section view showing a refrigerator in accordance with the conventional art, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a machine chamber of the refrigerator in accordance with the conventional art.
As shown, in the conventional refrigerator a machine chamber 12 is positioned at the lower portion of a freezing chamber 11, a compressor 13 for compressing refrigerant of low temperature and low pressure into refrigerant of high temperature and high pressure is installed at one inner side of the machine chamber 12, and a condenser 14 connected with the compressor 13 and for radiating much heat is installed at another inner side of the machine chamber 12.
An axial flow fan 15 for forcibly blowing heat generated in the machine chamber 12, especially generated from the condenser 14 outside the machine chamber and thus cooling inside of the machine chamber 12 is engaged to a fan motor 16 at one side of the condenser 14.
Also, a machine chamber cover 17 having a plurality of air inlets 17a and a plurality of air outlets 17b is installed at an outer side of the machine chamber 12 in order to protect said devices and smoothly radiate in the machine chamber 12.
In the conventional refrigerator, if the refrigerator is turned on, the refrigerating cycle in which refrigerant is compressed, condensed, expanded, and evaporated is repeated and thus inner temperature of the refrigerator is lowered.
At this time, the fan motor 16 rotates the axial flow fan 15, sucks air through the air inlets 17a, and exhausts the air through the air outlets 17b, thereby cooling heat generated from the condenser 13 and the compressor 14.
However, in the conventional refrigerator, since the axial flow fan having a predetermined radius had to be installed in the machine chamber, it was limited to decrease a volume of the machine chamber.
The larger an entire volume of the machine chamber becomes, the smaller a volume of the freezing chamber and the chilling chamber becomes. According to this, it is difficult to store much food in the freezing chamber and the chilling chamber.
Also, in the conventional refrigerator, since the axial flow fan blows air unevenly due to its characteristic and thus air flow is not smooth, air sucked through the air inlets is not exhausted fast towards the outer side of the machine chamber cover through the air outlets. According to this, a radiation efficiency of the condenser and the compressor is degraded, a performance of the condenser and the compressor is lowered, and thus an entire cooling performance of the refrigerator is lowered.